


More Than Scientific Admiration

by Azeran



Series: Marvel Slash [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Jotun!Loki, M/M, and he knows exactly what he's doing, sometimes anyway, tony is a persuasive bastard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:21:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1837543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azeran/pseuds/Azeran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Alright gorgeous, no more stalling. Time to show off your hocus pocus and reveal what’s hidden behind the magic curtain.” Sliding on a pair of silver webbed gloves, he grinned encouragingly at the sullen brunette. “Take it off.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Than Scientific Admiration

**Author's Note:**

> This is me needing a break from an emotional Frostiron piece I’ve been working on. Eheh. Have I mentioned I’m a complete sucker for this pairing? No? Because I really, reeally am. Thorki is up there too, but these sass-masters just are so much fun to write. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own Marvel, Loki, Tony Stark, any of that. Clearly.

It had taken months of persuasion. Literally, months, and more than a few promises on his part. Tony had never been more thankful that he was rich, because otherwise he wouldn’t be able to make half of them come true, and then he’d have a furious god of mischief on his hands. Nobody wanted that……well, mostly. There were extenuating circumstances. Most involved silk sashes and gags, in Tony’s mind, but now wasn’t the time to be thinking of that. He had something special to take care of. Or rather, a special someone. “Alright gorgeous, no more stalling. Time to show off your hocus pocus and reveal what’s hidden behind the magic curtain.” Sliding on a pair of silver webbed gloves, he grinned encouragingly at the sullen brunette. “Take it off.”

Loki wasn’t in any hurry, that much was clear. Reluctance clouded his normally bright eyes like a poison, and the taint only grew darker as he started to undo the buckles and ties keeping his clothes together. For so called casual wear, Asgardians sure liked to make things complicated. Tony had a sneaking suspicion that Loki had chosen today’s outfit for that exact reason, rather than his usual choice of tailored pants and shirts like he wore the other days when he was hanging around the tower. Probably why he didn’t just magic the clothing away either. “You’re stalling.”

“Silence, Stark. You may wish your curiosity sated, but I am in no hurry to accommodate you today.” Elegant fingers slid beneath the shoulder of his outer….vest? Sleeveless jacket? Either way, it was weird, alien space fashion that ended up on his workshop floor, before being collected by Dum-E with a chirping sound Tony could swear was meant to be comforting. Loki interpreted it that way, giving the robot a small pat on the head. He couldn’t not notice how his hand trembled. 

“You agreed to this, Lokes. Don’t pretend you didn’t. And before you even start, you’ve used persuasive tactics on me all the time to get what you want. Way I see it, this was fair game.” The look he got in exchange for that one was bitingly cold. About as much as Loki’s flesh was supposed to be, if rumors were true. Thor had been pretty tight lipped on the matter, and Loki…for a so called silvertongue, it was more like lead to him. The most Tony had been able to pry from him was that the race he was born to were considered by the Aesir to be monsters, feared and reviled. The Norse version of boogeymen, but blue. It all sounded pretty fascinating to him. Loki didn’t agree. And yeah, he got why, a lot better than the other Avengers could. Self hatred; it was something him and Loki had in common. One thing out of many. 

That didn’t mean he was gonna relent though. Tony needed to see Loki’s real form. Curiosity demanded it, and he had a point to prove. Whether the trickster liked it or not, nothing could make him any less beautiful in Tony’s eyes. Being a former villain hadn’t done it. Near genocide? In terms of death counts, Loki had nothing on him. Getting tossed out the window? He’d been through worse. None of that had done the trick, and this wouldn’t either. He just had to drill that into Loki’s head. And speaking of temperamental gods, this one was looking awful surly as he took off his innermost tunic, leaving his torso bare. Tony admired the sight for a moment, taking in the firm muscles, white as snow skin, and, best of all, the thin trail of hair that led from Loki’s navel all the way down his groin, until it vanished beneath the waistband of his soft trousers. Which, obviously, had to go. For science. “Those too, Prancer.”

Hands hesitating over the soft material, the trickster gave him the most intimidating look he could muster. Were he anyone else, Tony might have been intimidated. Too bad he wasn’t, and Loki knew that. He’d never been able to manage it, even back when they were still enemies, and Tony got his ass thrown out the tower window. Now that they were a couple, the whole flashing eyes and threats of bodily harm on his person just didn’t cut it. So, like any smart, ex super villain, Loki used his natural talents. Verbal persuasion. 

“Anthony, is this really necessary? Of all the forms I could take, why must you insist upon this one? You know my capabilities. I could shift into anything you desire.” Like tossing a stone into a pool of water, his features rippled and took a new elegance; the familiar curves of femininity, crimson lips, lashes that curled thickly over his light green eyes. But as quickly as they appeared, they were gone again, his point adequately proven. “You have a fondness for my womanly self, do you not?” Loki shifted forward, ready to prowl and sway like the vixen he was. His sexuality was a fine tuned machine, one over which he had complete control. Tony wasn’t going to give him a chance to use it. “If you’d forget this nonsense, we could-”

“Nothing doing. You know what I want, and you promised, remember?” Pouncing on his moment of uncertainty, Tony went for the kill. Metaphorically speaking. “Don’t you Norse guys have a rule against breaking promises? Thor mentioned it one time. You can’t break an oath, or your own magic will tear you apart. Gruesome stuff. You really go all out with these sorts of things, don’t you?” He distinctly heard Loki mutter a nasty sounding curse under his breath. Thor’s name was definitely mingled in with it. Good to know he was right. “C’mon Loki. You’re making this out to be something terrible, but it won’t be that bad, really.”

“It won’t be that bad?” Halfway through working his trousers off, Loki’s gaze shot up to his with all the fury he could conjure, dangerously coating his orbs in a cloudy venom. Damn. That wasn’t the response he’d been aiming for. “You have no idea of what you speak. You know nothing, Anthony. Nothing at all! This form--all in my realm fear it as the worst of monsters! There is nothing physically appealing about it, despite what your delusions have led you to believe. If I dare allow you to lay eyes upon it, never again will you see me as I am. You will only see…that.” Loki hissed, coiling backwards and warding him off with both his words, and the emerald fogging his fingertips with colorful swirls. “….A monster…”

Tony stared at his lover for a minute, trying to figure out how best to respond. He hadn’t heard that much self deprecation in a long time. The fact that it was Loki saying it--honestly wasn’t that surprising, and he should’ve expected it, with how reluctant he’d been, and was being, towards the whole situation. In his eyes, that was all the more reason to keep going with all this. He was going to prove to Loki that all his fears were complete bullshit. “You weren’t a monster when you and your alien goons slaughtered half of New York. We all know the truth; it was mind control, Lokes. Torture.” Things Tony understood entirely too well. “You were misunderstood by everyone. I bet it’s always been like that, hasn’t it? You, being the outcast in a world that never understood you. I know how that works. I’ve experienced it, all my life. People don’t like different. They shun it, cast it out, and then we get blamed when we try to fight back. I get it, Loki.” 

The god was about to bolt. The tension in his shoulders screamed terror, find a way out. Tony grabbed his forearms and held him in place, though they both knew perfectly well that Loki could get free anytime he wanted. He didn’t though. Still as ice, his gaze drooped to the floor, strands of ebony falling over his brow and near hiding the lines of worry carved there. “This isn’t the same…..Anthony, you can’t possibly understand. My other form….the form I was born with,” he smiled, listless and far too broken for the inventor’s comfort, “it’s revolting. Ask any on Asgard, and they will tell you the same. The Jotnar are fearsome creatures. Mothers tell their children stories about them at night, to scare them into obedience, lest they be rounded up like fodder and slaughtered.” 

Oh…..shit. So it really wasn’t that different from their own boogeyman tales. At least he had a vague idea of what he was up against. Still, it didn’t do much to quell his curiosity. Tony had to see what he looked like. Maybe it was wrong of him to pressure Loki this way, but he deserved to have someone believe in him, not see him as an unlovable freak. “I think you’re forgetting one thing,” he tugged the stubborn god closer and cupped the side of his face. “This isn’t your golden, fairy tale kingdom. We’re on Earth, remember? Midgard. Land of the mortals. And if there’s one thing we mortals are good at, it’s decoding the strange and unusual. Hell gorgeous, we thrive off it.” Loki didn’t look convinced, and he sighed, dragging his head down to rest their temples together. “Look, just…..give it a chance. Alright? I’m not going to scream, or run away, or any of the other horrible things that crazy mind of yours is thinking up. I promise.” 

“……And you speak to me of broken oaths. Do not make promises you can’t keep, Anthony.” There was an attempt on his part to pull away, but no real effort was behind it. Tony knew what Loki was capable of. If he wanted to, he could throw him through the wall, make him crash to the streets below. He didn’t though, and that was telling. No matter how much it hurt to hear, somewhere, deep inside that screwed up head of his, Loki understood what he was trying to do, and accepted it. Even if the rest of him was unwilling. 

“I’m not. What, do I need to make some weird, Asgardian swear on Point Break’s hammer or something? Because I’ll do it. Hell, I’ll even swear on your helmet if you want me to. Those pointy antlers of yours have to have some sort of purpose other than decoration, right?” At least that got a smile out of the prat, even if it was a weak one. Tony grinned back and worked his fingers through Loki’s hair, tucking a few lengthy pieces behind his ear. A little tenderness went a long way with the trickster. “I know it’s hard, but trust me, alright? We both have enough psychological issues to fund a therapist through their retirement. Who better than me can at least hope to understand what you’re going through? Thor? Captain goody two shoes? Maybe you want to give Fury a try? Because between all of them, we still have the most emotional scarring. Face it. I’m the best choice you’ve got. And if you can’t trust me with this one thing-” shrugging, he pulled back. “I’ll deal. But will you? How long until all that anger starts eating you up inside, Lokes?” 

Nothing could’ve cut the silence between them then. It worried him, the realization that he might have gone too far, pushed Loki further than he was willing to go. It was a nasty habit of his. Either Tony was pushing people away, or driving them further insane with all his intellectual probing and general brusqueness. That was an indirect quote from Steve, from the one time he’d attempted to ask the guy about his life back in the good old days. But Loki wasn’t Steve. Loki was a hell of a lot more dangerous, and potentially insane, and all around fucked up in the head. Then again, so was Tony. That was probably why things had taken such a radical turn, and they were now in what constituted a relationship, at least between the two of them. For how much longer was anybody’s guess, since the god still hadn’t said a word. For an infamous silvertongue, that was really worrying. “Talk to me babe. Tell me what you’re thinking.” 

Loki kept his silence for another moment or two, and Tony was about to flip his shit, drag him to Bruce for a psych evaluation. Thankfully that awkward situation was never meant to be, since he finally put that tongue to use. “I was thinking that you, Anthony, are going to be the death of all I’ve ever known. All that I’ve ever been.” There was no time for the billionaire to question exactly what the hell he was talking about, since the next thing he knew Loki was backing away from him and holding up his palms, warding Tony off as his eyes fell shut, hiding their pain from view. “If you wish to see the monster that I truly am, so be it. Let us flesh my greatest fears into creation.”

“You’re getting worked up over nothing.” Watching him drop his trousers and kick them aside, Tony tried not to stare too blatantly at his body, even if it was a magnificent one. He wished Loki would open his eyes again, so he could see what he was thinking, but there was a limit to what he’d make him do. Besides, he was a little….distracted. Namely by the tendrils of blue that were curling across Loki’s flesh, following the natural contours of his handsome face. “Uhh….” Tony wasn’t all that sure if this was supposed to be happening. Loki didn’t look any more panicked than he had before though, so he assumed yeah, it was, and kept on watching. What he saw was the oddest combination of alluring and alien changes taking shape on his boyfriend’s body. Where did he even begin cataloging it all?

Might as well start from the top, work his way down. There was a lot to take in. Looking past the blue skin, which on its own was intriguing enough, there were the markings, each one etching Loki’s face and traveling down his throat, all the rest of his limbs. Did they serve some purpose? They reminded him of tribal scarring, but obviously that couldn’t be the case here. Tony didn’t see Loki willingly agreeing to having his flesh ceremoniously scarred, what with his utter revulsion for this form. “What are these?” He reached out to touch one of the lines, but his fingers only met air as the god jerked backwards, warning him off with a hiss. “What? I was just going to-”

“You can’t,” Loki snapped, and the fear tainting his now crimson gaze became even more prominent. “My flesh is too cold. You’ll be frostbitten if you touch me, or worse.” 

So Thor hadn’t been lying about that little factoid. Good to know. Tony was damn thankful he’d taken the necessary precautions to make sure he didn’t waltz out of this with some telling wounds. “Good thing I wore protection then.” He showed Loki his gloves, the silver threaded through the palms shimmering with a life of its own. “Specially designed material that protects the skin from any temperature below freezing. Your big brother gave me a heads up about what to expect.” Oops. Not the best thing to say. If it was possible to look terrified and furious at the same time, then Loki had mastered it. “Calm down. He only told me the necessary stuff, like how cold you get. He was as tight lipped about all this as you are.” 

“I find that difficult to believe. Thor has no reason to keep my secrets now. We’re not brothers. We aren’t even family.” His twisted half smile was sharper than broken glass, but the ragged edges were turned inward, cutting deep. Fuck, it hurt. They were so much alike. Tony just did a better job of hiding his self hatred. Loki’s was vocal, scorning, and he wanted it to sting. 

“Cut the crap, drama queen. Come here. I want a closer look at you.” When the trickster stubbornly refused to take even a single step forward, Tony sighed, closing the gap himself. “What, do I have to start bribing you with treats? You’re like a spoiled kitten. Maybe I should start calling you Lokitty.”

“It will be your head on a pike if you try,” Loki hissed, recoiling away from the exploring fingers of his lover. Which Tony wasn’t having, of course. He could be just as stubborn as Loki. And he had a great tendency to ignore pathetic attempts at isolating him, because they’d been together for way too long now for him not to pick up on some of Loki’s tricks. God or not, he had emotions. Vulnerability. Tony knew them both all too well. 

A feint to the right got him close enough to reach out again, and there was no stopping him now. Before Loki could even think of complaining, or lurching backwards, there were black clad fingers touching his jaw, holding it firmly in place as Tony brought his other hand up to caress that curling skein of raven hair. “There. See? No injuries. The world didn’t end. You’re fine. I’m fine,” Tony added. Loki didn’t respond, looking rather shocked as the touches continued, traveling down his jaw so fingertips could trace the markings there. “I told you, I brought protection. Honestly Lokes, you need to have more faith in me! Did you think I’d really let myself get hurt?” Ok, dumb question. They both knew he would, mostly in the name of science. What were a few burns or scratches in the face of scientific discovery anyway? But he wasn’t taking any chances in this case. Tony knew one small booboo was all it’d take for Loki to change back and never let him see this form again. He had to be careful. “Turn around, would you? I wanna see how far these markings go.” 

Still surprised, Loki looked at him through his lashes, assessing his intrigue. “You act as if you had discovered some rare specimen, and wish to take it apart piece by piece.” He did as asked, showing Tony his back. The weave of his dark hair only hid the base of his neck, and the very tops of his shoulders, leaving every other part open for inspection. Tony decided to make it a very thorough one, running his hands all down that proud spine and across the narrow swell of his hips, only just curved enough to give Loki an air of femininity. Considering his shape shifting powers, and his tendency toward the dramatics, it was kind of fitting. 

“Lets keep that sort of stuff to the bedroom. This is science, Lokes. Way more serious.” Tony got his hands on the god’s inner thighs and felt the cold radiating off his skin. It didn’t hurt; the gloves made sure of that. But it did raise some questions. “Jarvis, stats. I need to know what his core temperature is.” 

Sir, my sensors show that Mr. Odinson’s core is residing at a stable thirty six degrees Fahrenheit, pending fluctuations. 

The clinical voice of his AI came through the speakers, tinged with a hint of personal curiosity. Impossible, but there it was. Mapping out the lines that patterned Loki’s upper thighs, Tony’s head jerked up at the slight pause, awaiting whatever information had been held back. Loki looked somewhat interested himself, except his was dampened by a sullen, bitter frown. Tony did his best to coax it away. Calming strokes to his hip, a kiss or two pressed behind his ear. Hell, the trickster really was an overgrown cat. “What else? Talk to me J. Don’t hold back now. I need to know what we’re getting into here.” 

……I can’t say for certain without further analysis, but it appears that his alien physiology allows him a certain degree of control over his own temperature, and he may raise or lower it in accordance with his surroundings. It’s an unusual trait, but not unheard of. Without running proper tests though, there isn’t enough sufficient data to estimate exactly how adaptable Mr. Odinson is in his Jotun form.

“In other words, it’s all a mystery.” Damn. Tony liked a good conundrum. He wasn’t getting his hopes up though. Somehow, he doubted that Loki would be all that willing to let him run any extensive tests. This was already pushing it. The strain of keeping his cool was evident in the tension lines creasing the corners of his eyes, each side of his pinked mouth. This was taking a lot out of him. “Babe?” Loki ignored him, gazing down at his own two palms, turning them over and back again, each of his markings staring vividly back at him. “Babe. Look at me. Look at ME, Lokes, come on.” 

“Why? Do you wish to meet the gaze of a monster?”

Dammit Loki. “No. I just wanted to see my gorgeous lover’s face, since he’s being a stubborn asshole and staring at the floor.” Tony caught him by the chin and lifted it by force, rubbing the three paler blue lines marking its length. “There. You know, this whole monster business is pretty stupid. How could anyone think you’re a monster? Is it because you look a little different? I mean, the blue skin’s a pretty big change, but it’s not a bad one, Lokes. You look good.” Really good, in fact. Maybe Asgardians had a thing against exotic markings and navy skin tones, but Tony sure didn’t. “Are you listening to me? Loki? Seriously babe, you need to-” 

“What do I need to do, Anthony? Heed your words? Forget everything I’ve ever been taught, on the whims of my mortal lover who is equally as stubborn as I am and, as you said, an asshole.” One of those blue hands came up and slapped his away, and Tony reeled as stunning carnelian orbs were turned upon him, utterly glowing with power. Fuck, Loki was beautiful. Dangerous as hell, yeah, but beautiful. And he was looking at him as if he were positively insane. He probably was. Whatever Loki saw in him though, it leeched the anger right out of him, leaving a confused, disbelieving trickster in his place. “You can’t really believe I’m appealing like this.”

“Why not? You are.” Tony’s stubborn reply didn’t go over so well. He wasn’t surprised. Loki vehemently shook his head and sidestepped him, tucking his limbs in towards his body. It was a diversionary tactic; all this, and Loki was still looking out for his best interests. Flattering. 

“You dare speak falsehoods to the god of lies? Save your breath. I’m a monster, Anthony. A criminal, and not only to Asgard. Have you forgotten the horrors I inflicted upon your realm? The lives I’ve taken?” 

Like he ever could. “You threw me out the window, Reindeer Games. I’m not forgetting that anytime soon, believe me.” Tony dashed his painful relief to the metaphorical cobblestones and prattled on, as Loki would say, grasping those whorl covered forearms reassuringly in his hands. “That was the first time I knew you were interesting enough to grab my attention. You still are, by the way. I’d say more so now, with all this going on. Maybe you alien Vikings have issue with the whole Jotun thing, but I don’t. I think it’s pretty cool. Pun not intended, but there you have it. Guess I can’t help myself.” He was rambling even more. Fuck. He was gonna get himself killed one of these days. “Loki, I don’t care about what you are. I really don’t. Whether you’re Jotun, Asgardian, crazy god of mischief. It doesn’t matter to me. I fell for you. You, gorgeous.” 

The hesitancy on his lover’s face was craze worthy. Tony half wondered if shaking some sense into Loki would work at all. “What of the lives I’ve taken,” Loki suspiciously stared at him, unconsciously tracing the ridges on his forearm, down his wrist. “You can’t simply ignore that, Anthony. It’s impossible. What I’ve done is reprehensible.” 

“What you did was under emotional distress. Manipulation, torture. You think I don’t know about all that? I’ve seen the clips, Loki. I was THERE. You were being controlled by the Chitauri, just like Clint. Maybe you had some more mental capacities, but it wasn’t your choice, what you did. And we stopped you.” He had a personal theory that that was all according to Loki’s plan anyway, but Tony didn’t mention that for now. Loki was stressed enough as it was. “Quit shaking your damn head and listen to me. You’re liable for what you did, but I don’t blame you. I can’t. Do you know how many lives I’ve taken? How many deaths I’m responsible for? I was the Merchant of Death, Loki! Whatever you’ve done, my crimes are just as bad.” 

“But you aren’t a”

“Neither are you.” 

Neither one of them was gonna concede without a fight. Loki was too set in his ways, the hatred bred in him from childhood, when he’d been taken by that megalomaniac he’d called father. And Tony was just as stubborn, refusing to give up without a fight. The difference was, he was right. “I don’t care how long it takes. I‘m gonna make you come around. You won’t always have to think like this,” he muttered, pulling Loki closer to himself. Through his clothes, Tony could still feel the chill wafting off his body; Jarvis had said Loki had the capacity to control his core temperature, which meant he should be able to lower it to non-harmful levels. Fuck, he wished that sort of power came naturally. He really wanted to kiss him right now. “I’ll make you see the truth, Lokes, you hear me? I’ll get you to look at this-” Tony wagged his finger towards the alien blue skin, “and see yourself as I do.” 

Loki’s whisper was almost lost between them, but he saw it take shape on those lips, a soft half smile that anyone less attentive would‘ve missed. “And how is that, Anthony? How do you see me?” 

“You already know the answer to that.” He had no problems telling him again either. Loki needed to hear it. “I think you’re an asshole. You’re sarcastic, arrogant, and way too stubborn. You don’t let anyone contradict you, or get a word in edgewise, and if I have to hear one more pathetic complaint that Thor’s not your brother, I might tear my hair out.” Tony took him by the face and caressed his thumb over Loki’s cheekbone, reveling in the cold he could only half feel. “But you’re also the most clever guy I’ve ever met. That’s saying a lot, coming from me. You’ve got a gorgeous brain, an even nicer body, and hell if you’re not the god of great sex and blowjobs to boot too. I couldn’t ask for a better lover,” his touch stuttered, persuading those crimson orbs up to his own. Perfect. “Get it? I like you. I think you’re beautiful. Nothing you say will ever change that. So shut up, quit bitching, and let me marvel at you some more. Because all this? This is more than any guy could hope for. You’re perfect, Lokes. Absolutely perfect.” 

It felt so good, getting those words out. Like a weight had been suddenly lifted from his chest. He only wished Loki could feel the same. Right now, he looked more surprised than anything. Tony glimpsed the faintest shimmer of wetness in his eyes before the god snapped them shut and took hold of his hand, their fingers sluggishly lacing together. “Anthony…I can’t believe what you’re saying. I simply can’t. All my life--all I’ve ever known is rejection, and shame, and pain at the hands of those I thought to love me. What you offer me is more than I could have ever hoped for,” Loki sighed, and the blue began weeping from his skin, returning it to its natural pale hue. Crimson became green, raw with a breathtaking want and abandon Tony saw him wanting to grasp onto. He couldn’t though. Not yet. He was afraid. 

“It’s ok. I understand. You’re not ready.” Tony brought their hands up and kissed Loki’s knuckles, glad to have that flesh once more against his own. As it should be. “Thank you for showing me, Lokes. It means a lot. I only wanted to understand, you know? See for myself what all the hype was about.” Smiling persuasively, he nudged the trickster further into the nest of his arms. “I wasn’t disappointed. You‘re as stunning as ever.” 

“Sweet words. They mean nothing when it is throwaway flattery.” 

But it wasn’t. They both knew it. If it took the engineer the rest of his life to prove to him that everything he said was true, then he’d do it. For both their sakes. They deserved it. “One of these days, you’ll realize I’ve been right all along. I promise not to rub it in your face too much when it does happen.” Loki smiled, a bit disbelieving. Chuckling, Tony kissed his mouth and cradled Loki to his chest, hiding his face in the curve of one of those broad shoulders. If he wanted to be a stubborn ass, fine. He’d let him. Eventually, the trickster would figure it out. Tony could wait patiently for that day. He only hoped it didn’t take too long. He was hoping to see more of that glorious other form Loki had hidden away. For reasons that weren’t purely scientific either.


End file.
